Ferroelectric domains in epitaxial Pb_<i>x</i>Sr_1−<i>x</i>TiO₃ thin films investigated using X-ray diffraction and piezoresponse force microscopy

Abstract

We present a detailed study of compressively strained Pb x Sr 1-x TiO 3 thin films grown by off-axis radio frequency magnetron sputtering on (001)-oriented Nb-doped SrTiO 3 substrates. Film tetragonality and the ferroelectric critical temperatures are measured for samples of different composition and thickness and compared with a phenomenological Landau-Devonshire model. 180 ferroelectric domains are observed using both X-ray diffraction and piezoresponse force microscopy and domain sizes obtained by the two techniques are compared and discussed.